We’ve been using the Nokia N97 Mini since it came out, and in that time it’s become one of our favourite handsets. One of the reasons for this is the excellent amount of customisation available – sure the Symbian S60 5th Edition OS isn’t as flashy as some rivals, but it is very easy to use, and has a lot to offer if you spend a little time tweaking things. Read on to find out how to customise your home screen…
With a large touchscreen, the Nokia N97 Mini is a great all-rounder, and although with a flick of a finger you can get rid of all the icons on the homescreen, it's also possible to put everything you'll ever need on there, from email previews to any one of your applications, meaning everything is just one click away.
The homescreen is split into 6 customisable sections, with the top one made up of the clock and other necessary details. Although this doesn’t sound like a lot, it’s also possible to add a bar to two of these sections which can be made up of four further icons – and all of these can launch applications or shortcuts, offering a fantastic amount of customisation.
To customise the content you see on your Nokia N97 Mini’s homescreen, click on the Options button in the bottom left. Click on an empty section or one you want to change, and click Add Content.
This lets you select from a host of pre-designed widgets – from a Facebook app to a Weather app, all of which perfectly complement the Nokia N97 Mini. A lot of these require an internet connection to get the most out of them, however, which will have an impact on your battery life. It’s also possible to download additional widgets. Tapping on your existing widgets allows you to remove them.
Read our Nokia N97 Mini Review
The top two bars under the clock offer the best customisation, as these are the ones that let you launch any of your applications or shortcuts. As before, click on the one you want, followed by Settings.
This will bring up a Shortcuts page that will be familiar to users of older Symbian handsets, with the ability to select shortcuts for pretty much anything. For everyday ease of use, we set up our Nokia N97 Mini with shortcuts for sending and receiving messages, a file manager shortcut, Ovi Maps 3.03, Ovi Store, a Tube map application and Opera Mobile.
This can all look a bit cluttered when you’re not expecting to use the phone for anything other than calls, however, in which case simply swipe your finger to the right or left when on the home page, and it’ll make all your icons disappear. Do the same again to make them reappear.
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